Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

jim larson · 2K+ Club

My PB seem a little soft. Looking for help on the procedure to bleed lines.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

I do the gravity bleed as well, and only resort to other measures if absolutely necessary (rarely)

I usually run a whole quart bottle through just for the sake of flushing the whole system with fresh fluid at the same time.

I've had stubborn ones that I left open overnight to flow, and I've had others that would run dry in 1/2-hour. I usually like to find something else to do in the shop while doing it so I can keep an eye on it and not run it dry.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Thanks for the information Derek. Does the drain run linearly, like if it take 1 hr for 1/2 a pint, it will take 4 hr for a quart?

Derek69SS · Founding Member

you can only put a little bit in the master cylinder at a time... won't hold more than maybe 1/4 of a pint.

I stole a measuring cup out of the kitchen to pour the fluid in easier without spilling (and damaging paint).

Got in trouble over that one.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

One thing to note is that you only want to open one bleeder at a time if you have a single reservoir, and only one front/one rear with dual reservoir.

If you open more than one on the same reservoir, the highest will drain to the lowest and suck in more air.

Lost in the 60s · President

Jim, if you get 1 to 1 1/2 cups out of the right rear, that should be plenty to have flushed the lines twice. I then bleed the left rear of a 1/4-1/2 cup. It only needs to come from the T on the diff. In the case of a single master, then drain 1 cup from the right front and 1/4-1/2 from the left. I still have my wife pressure bleed them a few times too, as a bubble can get stuck in a wheel cylinder.

As Derek said, check the master often to prevent getting low and I'll state the obvious here, leave the cap loose while gravity bleeding.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

So if I understand, do the gravity pressure bleed thing on all 4 wheels. Then come back and do the pressure bleed with a helper to get any air bubbles out that might have stuck in a cylinder.

Lost in the 60s · President

jim larson wrote:
So if I understand, do the gravity pressure bleed thing on all 4 wheels. Then come back and do the pressure bleed with a helper to get any air bubbles out that might have stuck in a cylinder.

That's my routine to be certain it's all out...

jim larson · 2K+ Club

The gravity system doesn't seem to work for me. I've watched some you-tube video's and think I am doing things right. So I just had to wife pump the brakes until I ran 2 cups through the right rear and 1 cup though the left rear.

Wife left for lunch, what's new, so I am going to try the gravity system on the front right. Maybe I am to impatient. How long to run 1/2 a cup through? 1 hr, 2hr, 3hr, or more?

Lost in the 60s · President

jim larson wrote:
The gravity system doesn't seem to work for me. I've watched some you-tube video's and think I am doing things right. So I just had to wife pump the brakes until I ran 2 cups through the right rear and 1 cup though the left rear.
Wife left for lunch, what's new, so I am going to try the gravity system on the front right. Maybe I am to impatient. How long to run 1/2 a cup through? 1 hr, 2hr, 3hr, or more?

All depends on how fast it drips out. For the gravity, I turn the bleeder out a couple turns, just cracking it like a pressure bleed won't produce much flow. I've had a 1/2 cup drain out the rear in 1/2 hr.